Head of School

Dr. Weaver has a doctorate of educational administration from Boston College, a master of arts in curriculum and instruction in the natural sciences from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a bachelor of arts in English and music performance from Wake Forest University. He studied classical guitar at the Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music and holds a certificate of advanced study in educational leadership and cultural studies from the University of Houston.

He has participated in numerous school accreditation and program evaluations, working with the Association of Independent Schools in New England, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Houston Independent School District. Dr. Weaver has published numerous children’s nonfiction books (with coauthor Jeanne Wallace-Weaver), written professional guides and articles, and presented at educators’ conferences.

Dr. Weaver enjoys spending time in the outdoors with his wife Jeanne and their two children, Benjamin and Isabella, who attend SCDS. He is an avid mountain biker, climber, and trail runner, and has lived and traveled extensively overseas.

Dr. Weaver's Blog

List of 9 news stories.

The origin of the word accredit is from the Latin past participle accreditus, meaning “to give credence to, to believe, to put faith in.” That is the goal of the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) when member schools such as ours undertake the accreditation process. Parents can put their faith in accredited schools, knowing that we must adhere to a rigorous set of standards for our operation and that our performance against these standards is routinely verified. Sonoma Country Day School has been fully accredited by CAIS and WASC since we could first apply in the mid-1980s.

On Monday, our Assembly host Isabella ‘18 shared how her diverse group of friends and family have inspired her. Since our inception in 1983, one of our founding principles has been to bring children together from all walks of life and from all our North Bay communities in order to bring learning to life in as many ways as we can.

We are a community founded upon the belief that using our learning in service to others not only benefits their lives, but our lives as well. I am touched that we have been living that ideal in earnest this holiday season.

In October, we held a Blessing of our Redwood Grove before our annual Harvest Fair to commemorate the 35 new trees planted on and around the knoll as part of our very exciting Outdoor Learning Initiative. At that time, I mentioned that Sin-ree-yo-ku is the Japanese art of spending time in the woods with purpose. According to this ancient tradition, the act of inhaling forest air strengthens the immune system and calms the nervous system. I invite families to spend time over the holiday together on a hike to enjoy the benefits of the fortifying forest air.

University of Kansas sophomore Jordan Stiers recently found herself faced with a question we would all love to answer, “What would I do with $10,000?” I was intrigued when I read a Tweet that Ms. Stiers intended to use $10,000 to “pay it forward” to her grandmother. At the KU annual basketball kick-off rally, participants pick a non-basketball-player proxy to attempt a half court shot. Ms. Stiers selected Brennan Bechard, Director of Basketball Operations at KU, whom she had witnessed sink the shot a year before. This year, he did it again, winning Ms. Stiers $10,000!

Young children ask questions. Lots of them! They are brimming with curiosity and have a burning desire to question everything in the world around them. Sir Ken Robinson has observed that students' natural inclination to question declines the longer they are in school, along with their self-perception as creative individuals. If our goal as educators is to cultivate curiosity and innovation in our students, how can we keep alive their drive to question the world around them throughout their school-age years?

Our elementary students have the chance twice a year to plan a business and market products and services at our Entrepreneur Fair. Looking a bit like a Maker Faire crossed with a Farmer’s Market, we see everything from plant starts, personalized t-shirts and baseball caps, and homemade truffles to toilet bombs, spa services, and lamps made from wine bottles. Our children’s imaginations are their only limit.

The unbridled curiosity and imagination of Bill Watterson’s Calvin often land him in trouble. In one of my favorite strips, Calvin quips to Susie Derkins, “Curiosity is the essence of the scientific mind.” To the disgust of his friend, who happens to be seated next to him at lunch, Calvin tests his assertion by sticking straws up his nose to determine where milk goes when he laughs.

Messy situations make us feel uncomfortable. We naturally shy away from difficult circumstances that give the impression they will not work out or the outcome is uncertain. Fear of not being right or making a mistake stand in our way, perhaps, or being unwilling to put in the effort to solve a problem that might otherwise be avoided.

Sonoma Country Day School

We are…

The premier, fully accredited, independent TK-8 college preparatory school in Sonoma County. Located in northern Santa Rosa and proud home of The Jackson Theater, SCDS offers a challenging academic program rich in fine and performing arts, music, world languages, and social and emotional learning. For more than thirty years SCDS has been the school that brings learning to life.